by Cassie Maria
I nod my head and sigh because I know he’s right.
“Do you want to be with her? She could potentially be having your baby and she seems to be more of your type than I am.”
“Hell no! What are you talking about?”
“All of your ex’s that I’ve encountered have been blonde and tall, so it makes me wonder why you came after me. Only thing that I have in common with those girls are my curves.”
“I chased you because I wanted to be with you then, and I want to be with you now. Yes they are my usual type but look where that got me.”
Can I do this? Can I be with someone who may have had a baby on me? Do I love him enough to make this work?
I look down at his tense face and know there’s no way I’m leaving over this. He messed up when we broke up and I can’t fault him for it.
“What do we do now Mia?”
I pull him up from my lap so that we’re face to face. “We’re going to support her and be there every step of the way. When she has the baby you’ll take a paternity test and we’ll move on from there.”
“What if the baby isn’t mine and we spend all that time and money on her?”
“What if the baby is yours and you missed out on your child’s development?”
“Your right, and I’m sorry for putting you through this.”
“The roles could’ve easily been reversed. What would you have done if I ended up pregnant during our breakup?”
“Held your hand through it and accepted the baby as my own.”
“Exactly. We’re about to get married and have to accept the good with the bad. You may feel bad now but the end result will be great. We’ll either have a baby at the end of this or be free and clear from all of our ex’s once and for all.”
“I don’t deserve you,” he says placing his forehead on mine.
“Yes you do,” I whisper back. I can tell he still needs reassurance so I pull him to the bedroom where we undress and cuddle until we fall asleep.
****
Over breakfast I tell him about my promotion and our venue. He seems excited but guarded like he’s waiting for me to flip out.
“Babe, I’m not going to freak out and abandon you.”
“It’s just freaking me out how well you’re taking it. I know Noah got someone pregnant while you were together.”
“You’re not him and the situation is different. I love you and refuse to live without you so I have no choice but to go with the flow. If that means accepting a baby that you may have created while we weren’t together then so be it. I will love the baby because he or she is half of you. My heart has no choice but to be a goner for him or her.” Ethan smiles brilliantly and I can’t help but smile back.
“Would you like to go to the ultrasound with me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, let me call her and set it up.”
He pulls his cell out of his pocket and calls her.
“Hey Bria, Mia and I would like to be at your next doctor’s appointment.”
His face turns stony when she replies.
“She’s my fiancée and will be in the baby’s life so what does it matter if she’s there?”
More angry silence.
“Don’t play this game with me Bria, you won’t like how it ends.”
He relaxes slightly before speaking.
“Okay, we can do that. When is your next appointment?” I watch as he writes down the date on a piece of mail. “Okay we’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What happened?” I ask after he hangs up.
“She wasn’t happy with me including you but she agreed to meet you tomorrow to get to know you before we show up at her appointment in three weeks.”
“Babe relax, meeting her before hand is a good idea,” I say as I run my fingers over his knuckles.
“I know; I just want to keep it drama free.”
“And it will be. Tell me about her.”
“We dated for a few weeks in May, but ended things when I said your name in bed. She was nothing more than a hitter and she understood that.”
“Jeez, no wonder the girl has reservations about me.”
“She knew the score when we started darlin’. I didn’t make any promises to her so now we have to be adults and raise this baby.”
“I understand your side but show her some compassion, okay?”
“Yeah I can do that.”
****
Sunday
Ethan and I walk into Tea Time, holding hands, to meet Bria. Ethan scans the tables for a few seconds before steering us to the back of the shop. We stop at a table and a gorgeous blond looks up at us. When I say gorgeous I mean men must fall at her feet. Her piercing green eyes shoot between Ethan and me before she slaps on an uncomfortable smile.
“You must be Mia.”
“It’s nice to meet you Bria.”
We sit down and it’s hard not to notice her belly.
“How far are you?”
“Seven months.”
“Wow you’re almost done. What are you having?”
“Why do you need to know?” she asks tersely.
“Relax Bria, she’s only trying to be friendly.”
“Why do I have to be friends with her?”
“Because we’ll all be making major decisions together so you better get use to her being around.”
“Do you really think I’m going to play nice with the girl you left me for?”
“Do you really think I’m going to allow you to disrespect my wife? If it weren’t for her you wouldn’t be seeing me until you gave birth and even that would only be for a paternity test. So you will respect her. You don’t have to like her but you’ll give her the upmost respect. Mia will be at every appointment with me and at the birth. Once it’s proven scientifically that I am the father then we’ll discuss visitation and child support.” He leans forward and hisses, “Until the birth you better be sweet as sugar because if you make her uncomfortable in any way, I will disappear until you push the baby out. Are we clear?”
“Yeah.”
Ethan nods and pulls me out of my chair.
“We’ll see you in three weeks.”
I’m rushed out of the building and placed in Ethan’s car. He’s too riled up to talk now, so I remain quiet as he drives us to Tara’s Treats for our cake appointment. When we pull up his fingers are stiffly holding on to the steering wheel. I start to say something to him but he jumps out of the car before I can speak. When he helps me out of the car I place my hand on his chest so he’ll look at me.
“Let’s go for a walk.”
“We need to choose a cake.”
“It can wait.”
I place my arms around his waist and lead us down the sidewalk. He wraps an arm around my waist and uses his other hand to rub my arm. Eventually I hear him sigh and feel his tense body relax.
“I’m sorry darlin’, I won’t stand for anyone disrespecting you.”
“It’s okay. You have a right to be upset but don’t let her ruin our day, okay?” He nods in agreement. “Good, now lets talk out the facts and maybe it’ll make you feel better.”
“Good idea.”
“She doesn’t seem money hungry but she does look lonely, maybe all she wants from you is your time and she feels like I’m cutting in on that.”
“It’s a possibility but it doesn’t explain why she waited so long to tell me about the baby. We don’t run in the same circles so it’s unlikely that she heard about the engagement and wants to break us up. Something is up with her and I can’t figure out what it is and its annoying the shit out of me.”
“Well let’s just feel her out and see what happens. If she has ill intentions then they’ll eventually be revealed.”
“I guess so.”
“There is no point in stressing about something out of our control. All we can do is wait it out.”
His nods his head then says, “I’m sorry for being a downer.”
“Well there is a way you can make it up to me,�
� I say smiling.
“Oh yeah, how?”
“By taking me to eat some free cake.” He smiles at me before steering us back towards the bakery.
****
Later that day
I’m in my boxed up kitchen working on the guest list when Ava bulldozes her way into the house.
“Please feel free to break down my door.”
“He got someone pregnant?!”
“He’s not sure that the baby is his.”
“He allegedly knocked up a girl who isn’t you and you didn’t tell me?!”
“Ethan was already freaking out and I didn’t need you to get me all hyped up too.”
“Why not? You should be hyped up! Why aren’t you hyped up?”
“I started to get freaked out when he told me but then I thought about those months without him and I knew he was worth the drama. He’s always been there to talk me down from a cliff and now I need to do that for him. We both know if this was you and Steve you’d be pissed at first but no way in hell would you let some woman he barely tolerates to break you two up.”
I watch as her face goes from scary angry to understanding.
“Are you sure Mia? I’ll get Steve to kick his ass and in a few months we can track her down.”
“I’m sure. Now come help me with this list.”
We spend the next hour arguing over the guest list and possible menu. Ethan and Steve eventually show up with food and Ethan’s list. I begin searching the Internet for invitations but I’m too tired to focus, so Ethan chooses them.
Ethan tries to convince me to hire a wedding planner but I refuse. I have majority of the details already handled so there is no point in hiring one now. We argue about this for another twenty minutes before we compromise and I agree to hire someone to decorate.
Ethan can tell that I’m exhausted so he orders everyone to call it a night. I head to bed while he locks up the house, and I’m asleep before he even makes it upstairs.
Chapter Thirty
Adding It Up
Friday…Three weeks later
I’m nervously patting my feet in the waiting room as we wait for Bria to be called back when I feel Ethan’s hand land on my thigh.
“Darlin’ calm down, its just a check up.”
“I know but we’ll get to see the baby. It’s the first time we get to see him or her, how can you not be excited?”
“Maybe because this one is uncertain, but the one I’ll plant in you on our wedding day will be a sure thing.”
I lean closer to him and take in his hazel eyes.
“Lets move up the wedding date,” I whisper.
“Its too late, the wedding invitations have already gone out.”
“Lets go to Vegas for a quick wedding and still have the ceremony here in May.”
“What’s the rush?”
“Are you serious?”
We agreed to not have sex again until we’re married. It’s a struggle but I think its great that he wants that night to be special.
“What?”
I narrow my eyes at him, which causes him to laugh at me.
“You know I want babies with you and thinking about making them makes me want you now.”
“We only have three months.”
“I want it now,” I say as I bite his lip before licking it. I see his eyes heat the same time that Bria’s name is called. Ethan helps me out my seat before walking over a few rows to help Bria out of hers.
It takes him a few seconds to realize that I’m not behind him and his eyes search for me. When he finds me he tilts his head to the side and waits for me to join him.
When I reach him his hand captures mine and he runs his thumb over my ring. He never lets me forget my position in his life.
We wait outside of her room while the doctor examines her. After what feels like forever, we’re called in to hear the doctor’s assessment.
“Dr. Hamilton this is Ethan and Mia, please feel free to speak around them.”
“Nice to meet you two. Bria you’re doing well but I want you to continue exercising. Go for short walks or a slow pace on the treadmill; just keep moving.”
“Are there any concerns?” Ethan asks.
“No, I just like for moms to stay healthy through diet and exercise. Bria is great with her diet but a little lazy with the exercise portion.”
“Is there anything else she needs to do?”
“Just watch her diet and remain relaxed. It’s almost over but I don’t want her going into labor early.”
We both nod our understanding and he turns back to Bria.
“Are you ready to see your baby?”
Bria nods and the doctor pulls the sonogram machine from the corner of the room and fires it up. A nurse comes into the room and Bria lifts her shirt over her belly. The nurse squeezes some type of gel onto Bria’s stomach and the doctor leaves. She then grabs a wand and rolls it over Bria’s belly and we see a black and white image of the baby. The heartbeat fills the room and tears spring to my eyes. Ethan blindly reaches for my hand and I squeeze his.
“How’s the baby?” I ask. The nurse looks to Bria and only responds when she says its okay to share her medical information with us.
“He’s fine; a good size and weight. I’m taking a few pictures and measurements to make sure he’s on target.”
After a few more clicks the nurse prints out three photos and hands one to Ethan and one to Bria. She then leaves to get the doctor to review her notes and the photo. A few minutes later the doctor returns.
“Okay everything looks great. He’s right on target for you being 34 weeks. From now until your due date I want to see you every week.”
Ethan stares at her for a long time before she quietly says, “Okay.”
“See you next week Bria.”
Ethan is still staring at her when he helps her off of the table. He’s being weird but I’ll wait until we’re alone to question him.
We accompany her to the desk and I make a note of her next three visits. Outside we discuss with her which one of us will be at which appointment before we part.
Ethan drives us to Tea Time and I secure us a table while he orders our snack and tea. When he comes to the table with our order he’s very quiet. I pick at my blueberry muffin as I wait for him to speak his mind. He’s staring out the window distractedly, so I speak up.
“So a boy huh?”
“I guess so.”
“You’re not excited?”
“I have this nagging feeling that he isn’t mine and I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Why do you think that?”
“We only had sex three times in two weeks. She should be closer to 31 weeks not 34 weeks going on 35.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve been calculating the last time we were together plus two weeks gestation and it just doesn’t add up.”
“What do you want to do?”
“We’ll ride it out and kill her with kindness. Eventually our kindness will cause her to feel guilty and she’ll confess.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. She’s already on alert because she waited until the end to contact me. She became uncharacteristically shy when the doctor revealed how far along she is and she knows I’m on to her. It’s just a matter of time before she cracks.
****
Two weeks later
The more time I spend with Bria the more confused I become. A part of me wants the baby to be Ethan’s but the other part of me wants to expose her for the schemer that she is.
It very quickly became evident that she wants Ethan to be her husband. She began dropping hints of how cute their family will be (seriously).
She then began inquiring about Ethan’s finances and wanting to see his place. Ethan flat out denied her any financial information and refused to let her past his front door. When I informed her that I wanted the baby in the wedding she flat out refused.
“My baby won’t be in your wedding.”
“Why not? He’s Ethan’s baby too.”
“But he’s not yours.”
“The baby or Ethan?”
“Both.”
What a total B! I’m trying my hardest not to call her one to her face but she’s pushing it! Ava suggested I cut my time with Bria but that would mean Ethan would have to increase his time with her (not happening).
After she showed her claws, so did I. I made sure to involve her in our wedding chats, date night, and anything else romantic we did together.
I convinced him that she needed to see what the baby would be doing when he spends the weekend with us. He knew I was up to something but reluctantly agreed to her being a third wheel.
The more I involved Bria in our romance, the less confident she became and the closer her due date approached the flakier she became.
She changed her 4d ultrasound appointment at the last minute without telling us and began avoiding us. I figured that she was attempting to keep us from the hospital when she went into labor, so I called in a favor.
Due to my frequent dinner dates with Ethan at his job, I got to know a lot of his coworkers. I called a few of them and they called a few of their friends, so no matter what hospital she delivers at we’ll be notified.
Chapter Thirty-One
One Step Closer
February 28th…4am
I watch Ethan as he tensely grips the steering wheel. We got a call that Bria showed up at a different hospital twenty minutes ago. She even switched doctors so we couldn’t call and get any medical information on her.
I tried to calm him down but every time I spoke he just glared at me. It’s bad enough that she waited until the end of her pregnancy to contact him, but now she’s keeping the birth from him too.
“Babe, please calm down.”
“I can’t! After all the time we spent with her. How could she do this to us?” We’ve been buying her groceries, covering her overdue bills, and buying stuff for the baby. So he has every right to be pissed right now.
“I don’t know, but having a heart attack isn’t going to get you any answers any faster.”
He doesn’t respond but I notice his hands loosen a bit. When we enter the maternity wing we are directed to the waiting room. When the nurse informs us that Bria won’t allow us back to see the delivery, Ethan informs her that he wants a paternity test done as soon as the baby is born.